United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (usually shortened to the United Kingdom, the U.K., or Britain) is a country and sovereign state in Western Europe to the north-west of mainland Europe. It comprises the island of Great Britain, the north-east part of the island of Ireland and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. The rest of the UK is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Irish Sea. The UK is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel, it is a part of both NATO and the European Union. Government The United Kingdom is a Parliamentary democracy and also a constitutional monarchy comprising of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, or "Betty Battenburg" as she's known among RepublicansNot THOSE Republicans, silly. for her German heritage. She is the unelected hereditary Head of State but is by common consent Britain's "top chick". Queenie is also Head of State of fifteen other realms including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, known collectively as the British Commonwealth or The Nice Countries. The Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, are not part of the UK but form a federacy with it. The UK has fourteen overseas territories, all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface. While the United Kingdom does not have an official religion overall, with no established religion in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales; England has an official established religion in the form of the Church of England. Two seats of the House of Lords within the Parliament of the United Kingdom, are reserved for Archbishops of the Church of England, and 24 seats are reserved for senior diocesan Bishops of the Church of England. These bishop and archbishops being can participate in debates and votes which shape UK law and society. Additionally, the reigning Monarch, who is the official head of state in the United Kingdom, is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Past and present Britain was the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th Century, but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished Britain's role and status in global affairs. The UK remains a major political, economic and nuclear military power; it holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, is a Great Power and is a member of the G8, NATO, the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations. There’s a bit of fun here The only country in the world that knows how to make a nice cup of tea. Also, most of its occupants have no idea what an "English muffin" is. Presumably, because it was ironically an American invention. Like French Fries. And diet pills. Unlike America and other countries, the UK actually fought the whole of WW1 and WW2. It ended up on the winning side in both cases, mostly thanks to America and other countries. The last time America fought a war against the UK, in 1859, it tied, like the world cup amirite? However, Canada had one revolt which got pwn3d by the British, India never won its independence until the 40s, and Australia was just a prison colony. The last time America fought a war without the UK on its side, Vietnam, it lost, so it goes without saying that America needs the UK, at least until Afghanistan and Iraq are lost. Also, every time the UK fights on the side of America, half of its casualties are due to American soldiers killing them in friendly fire. Serious again The UK also has the benefit of not having conservatives who shoehorn their religious beliefs into politics. But Christians have been shoehorning their religious beliefs into education. And also it does have Conservatives who shoehorn their political beliefs into politics. That's still a problem. Margaret Thatcher annoyed a great many people when she was Prime Minister with her conservative policies. Unfortunately, even more people liked her enough to vote for her once, twice and thrice. Fortunately, that’s now past. In fact, Britain was quite a liberal country before the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition and Britain is still much more liberal than the USA. Anyway, the UK has Universal Health Care through the National Health Service. Scandinavia is definitely a lot more Socially Democratic than liberal. According to The Guardian, UK homes may be more expensive by 2030Number of UK homes worth more than £1m set to 'triple by 2030' Britain has a LOT of Rain though Norway has even more. External links *Religion in the UK References Category:United Kingdom Category:Geography Category:Countries Category:Europe Category:Sovereign Nations Category:Western Europe Category:European Union Category:Democracies Category:Secular nations Category:Conservative nations Category:Nations Where Gays Can Marry Category:Anti-communists Category:Things Sarah Palin Will Never Know Category:First World